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Roads Ministry did not breach procurement laws in Big Push contracts – Felix Ofosu Kwakye
The government has dismissed allegations of procurement breaches in the award of contracts under the Big Push infrastructure programme, saying an investigation found that the Ministry of Roads and Highways acted within the law.
Minister of Government Communications, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, disclosed this at the Government Accountability Series held at the Jubilee House on Monday, June 15, 2026.
According to him, a 72-page report commissioned by President John Mahama found that the ministry followed all legal procedures in awarding contracts and did not abuse the single-source procurement process.
Mr. Kwakye Ofosu explained that the investigation was initiated after the Fourth Estate and the Media Foundation for West Africa raised concerns about the award of road contracts under the Big Push initiative.
He said the report established that out of 1,441 road contracts awarded by the Ministry of Roads and Highways, 1,301 were awarded through open and competitive tendering.
According to him, only 66 contracts, representing 4.58 per cent of the total contracts awarded, were procured through single sourcing.
“This demonstrates that competitive tendering remained the ministry’s overwhelming baseline norm,” he stated.
Mr. Kwakye Ofosu said the report concluded that the ministry did not violate the Public Procurement Act and had obtained the necessary approvals before awarding contracts through single sourcing or restricted tendering.
He explained that the use of single sourcing for some Big Push projects was driven by the need to accelerate road construction, address deteriorating road conditions, reduce project delays and control rising costs.
The minister addressed allegations of inconsistencies in project figures published by the Ministry of Roads and Highways.
He said investigators found that some of the perceived disparities resulted from different funding sources, including the Consolidated Fund and the Big Push Fund, rather than any financial wrongdoing.
On claims surrounding the rehabilitation of the Dodo Pepesu–Nkwanta Road, Mr. Kwakye Ofosu said a reported discrepancy in the project cost was traced to a typographical error.
According to him, the official contract sum for the project was GH¢683.9 million, and any other figure that appeared elsewhere did not affect the legally approved contract amount.
He dismissed allegations that the omission of the letter “W” in the name of contractor Growth 82 Global Limited was an attempt to hide the company from public scrutiny.
The minister said investigators found no evidence to support that claim, noting that the contractor’s details were publicly available and visible at the project site.
Mr. Kwakye Ofosu further stated that the report confirmed Growth 82 Global Limited was properly registered and had obtained the required contractor classification before the contract was awarded.
He added that the company won the contract through a restricted tendering process in which five companies were evaluated.
The minister rejected claims that some road projects were overpriced, explaining that the cost of road construction is determined by several factors, including terrain, drainage systems, bridges and the overall scope of work.
He said projects of similar length could have different costs because of variations in engineering requirements.
Mr. Kwakye Ofosu noted that the report recommended stronger oversight of single-source contracts, including mandatory value-for-money assessments, cabinet approval for high-value contracts and increased public disclosure of procurement information.
He said the government welcomed the recommendations and would implement measures to strengthen transparency and accountability in public procurement.
The minister commended the Fourth Estate and the Media Foundation for West Africa for their role in promoting public accountability and exposing wrongdoing in the public sector.
According to him, while the report found no evidence of procurement breaches by the Ministry of Roads and Highways, it highlighted the need for greater transparency and stronger oversight mechanisms.
Mr. Kwakye Ofosu said President Mahama had accepted the report and its recommendations, adding that no further action would be taken because the evidence did not support the allegations made against the ministry.
By: Jacob Aggrey
The Speaker of the Algerian Parliament, Mr. Azouz Nasri, has arrived in Accra to take part in the Next Steps High-Level Consultative Conference on the implementation of the landmark United Nations Resolution on the Trafficking of Enslaved Africans.
He was received at the Jubilee Lounge, Kotoka International Airport, by Ghana’s First Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Bernard Ahiafor.
The 3-day conference runs from June 17–19, 2026 in Accra. It will bring together parliamentary leaders, diplomats, civil society, and other key stakeholders to reflect on the implications of the UN Resolution for Africans and people of African descent worldwide.
Organisers say the meeting is aimed at advancing a coordinated global framework to strengthen advocacy around the Resolution and provide practical guidance for its implementation across member states.
The Resolution is described as a historic step toward acknowledging the transatlantic slave trade and addressing its lasting impact, with this conference marking one of the first high-level efforts to move it from declaration to action.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
Aspiring National Chairman for the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Awentami Paul Afoko, has stated that the party has a unique opportunity to annex power in the 2028 elections.
According to him, the one person who has been on Ghana’s ballot paper for several elections will not be on the ballot paper in the 2028 elections, paving the way for the NPP to properly market its flagbearer Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, who is already a formidable force to reckon with and will go ahead to win the polls.
He argued that voters already know him, he’s battle-tested and ready to win.
He reiterated that the NPP will have a well-marketed candidate in the 2028 election and just as the party did in 2016 when it annexed power from a sitting government, the same can be done.
The Former NPP National Chairman, however, noted that this can be possible if the NPP unites as a unit and approach the elections with all the seriousness it deserves to ensure that its quest for victory does not become a mirage.
Mr Awentami Paul Afoko made this known when he met with Regional Executives, Patrons and Elders of the party in the Volta, Oti and Eastern Regions yesterday.
“For the first time we have a unique opportunity. At the time I put the New Plan for Power in place, we knew that the sitting president could go again and if he won another term, we would sit in opposition for twelve years.
We had to put a plan in place to make sure we come to power and we came to power. This time around, he will not be on the ballot paper and this offers us a unique opportunity, but without unity we will not get there,” he stated.
“As for unity, it is not negotiable. You can’t sit here and look at the lady sitting next to you and say I don’t like her so we can’t work together. We are working together for power, and if we let emotions get in the way, we lose” he said.
“Those of you who are old enough to remember Muhammad Ali the boxer, he is in the ring with you, he’s talking and calling you names then you get emotional and he takes advantage. Emotions won’t give us power. I didn’t get anything so I won’t support; no, let that go because it is in the past,” he noted.
Afoko, who is pushing his 3R Agenda of Reunite, Rebuild, and Recapture power, said the party must adopt a clear message to win back the confidence of Ghanaians and believes, with Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, whom he described as the right candidate will guarantee the NPP victory in the 2028 polls.
“For years I chose to work quietly behind the scenes, supporting the NPP in private,” Afoko said.
“But recent developments have compelled me to step forward. We need to get our party back into winning ways, and that starts with unity of purpose,” Afoko reiterated.
He framed the upcoming period as a test of whether NPP politics would mature or remain stuck in cycles of blame, but was optimistic that everyone who loves the party would come on board to realize the goal of making Dr Mahamudu Bawumia the next President of Ghana.
By: Jacob Aggrey
